1. Technical Field
Exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept relate to an electronic device, and more particularly, to a storage device and a system including the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Computer systems may use several types of memory systems. For example, a computer system may use main memory including semiconductor memory devices that can be randomly written to and read from (e.g., random access memories). However, since semiconductor memories are relatively expensive, other higher density and lower cost memories may be used to reduce cost. For example, a magnetic disk storage system may be used instead of a semiconductor memory device. While an access time for a magnetic disk storage system is in the order of tens of milliseconds, the access time for a main memory is in the order of hundreds of nanoseconds. Another type of disk like storage is solid state disk storage SSD (also called a solid state drive). SSD is a data storage device that uses memory chips, such as synchronous dynamic random access memory SDRAM to store data, instead of spinning platters found in hard disk drives.
A first type of SSD, which is based on volatile memory, such as SDRAM may enable high speed data access. The first type of SSD may be used to accelerate an application whose performance is hindered by the latency of a disk drive. The first type of SSD may incorporate an internal battery and a backup disk to ensure data persistence. If power is lost, the battery keeps the unit powered long enough to copy data from RAM to the backup disk. Upon the restoration of power, data is copied back from backup disk to RAM and the SSD resumes normal operation. The first type of SSD may be useful on a computer, which already has a maximum amount of RAM. A second type of SSD uses flash memory to store data. The different types of SSD may be used as low power, rugged replacements for hard drives.